Lucknow: In a community-led initiative, residents of Kathwara village in Bakshi Ka Talab took a collective cyber safety oath during a ‘cyber panchayat’ aimed at spreading digital awareness in rural areas, as cyber fraud increasingly penetrates beyond urban centres.The session was organised by Psy-Naree, a mental health and women-empowerment group, in collaboration with RT Cyber Academy.Cyber expert Rakshit Tandon led the programme, focusing on practical ways to identify and avoid online fraud.Hosted by retired Col Sanjeev Sahai, founder of Ikigai and mentor to Psy-Naree, the event linked cybercrime with its psychological impact, stressing that victims often suffer emotional distress beyond financial loss. “Silence after a fraud can worsen trauma; communities must support victims,” he said.This was the third such rural outreach by the organisers, reflecting a growing push to take cyber awareness to villages. Psy-Naree volunteer Simran Rai anchored the session, while programme coordinator Vaibhav Naik managed logistics.Speakers highlighted common fraud tactics, including fake calls posing as police or bank officials, OTP and PIN theft, “digital arrest” scams, and fraudulent investment schemes promising quick returns.The risks of mule accounts — where individuals unknowingly lend their bank accounts for illegal transactions — were also flagged. Participants were urged to immediately report fraud on 1930 cyber helpline.Short films based on real-life cases were screened to help villagers better recognise scam patterns. The session culminated in a community pledge administered by Tandon.Sahai said efforts were underway to develop Kathwara into a cyber-crime-free model village through sustained awareness and intervention programmes.
